The Theme of Magic and Love in the Novel, Like Water For Chocolate

There are all sorts of novels, English, American, Mexican, etc…, but they all have something that distinguish them from the rest. Mexican novelists tend to write about magic and love. In Laura Esquirel novel Like Water For Chocolate magic is in many peoples opinion a big part of the theme. Tita the main character of the novel, and she unknowing uses her cooking as magic, the magic used effects almost everyone who eats Tita’s food. Like Water For Chocolate is a novel that uses magic in ways that will effect almost everyone around the wizard that products the magic in a good or bad way.

Tita’s first love was Pedro, they meet at a party thrown by the De la Garza family which Tita was sadly part of. The De la Garza tradition was that the youngest daughter had to stay in the house of her mother and take care of her till the day the mother died, which means that the daughter could not get married. Unfortunately for Tita she was the youngest and her mother was health as a flying bird. Pedro was madly in love with Tita, and Tita with Pedro, he wanted to take her hand in marriage, but in order to do this he has to ask her mother, Mama Elena, since her farther is dead. Going by tradition Mama Elena said no, but she did then ask him if he wants Rousara Tita sister instead. Thinking that by marriage Tita’s sister he would be close to her. Tita had to be part of the wedding if she liked it or not, according to Mama Elena.

While Tita and Nacha were preparing the batter for the cake Tita told her mother that it would be best if she didn’t attend the wedding. Mama Elena then told her that she was and that she could not cry at the wedding. After her mother left Tita began to cry above the batter, and tears fell into the cake batter. It was after the wedding at the basic wedding party, Nacha brought out the cake. Everyone got a piece, after the first bites looks of sickness were produced on everyone’s once happy face. They all got sick and ran to the river side and threw up, making Rosaura’s wedding like deserter island. Although the author doesn’t say it was because of Tita’s tears, but we can say that it was because at that time Tita was angry at Pedro for marry Rosaura, and she was jealous of Rosaura because she was allowed to marry Pedro.

So because of the way Tita felt people got sick. the Magic is use not only as a way to hurt someone but also to make them feel good. A few weeks after the wedding Pedro tried to do whatever he could do to make Tita feel his love. One day Pedro had an idea of bring Tita a bouquet of roses, and his excuse was to celebrate her first year as ranch cook. Rosaura pregnant at the time though she should get rose and angry ran out of the room. Mama Elena with “just a look” sent Tita to get rid of the roses. Tita thinking they were to beautiful to throw away but then Tita heard Nacha’s voice, Nacha is dead at this time, telling her a recipe involving rose petals.

After the meal was cooked Gertrudis, Tita, Rosaura, Pedro, and Mama Elena sat down to eat. Pedro was the first to complement Tita for the delicious meal which made him horny for love, then Gertudis became horny. Rosaura on the other hand was feeling sick and getting nauseous, and then asked to be excused. Then Gertudis ran out to the outhouse and began to get naked, she began to sweat and smell like roses. Gertudis began to run, naked she was, ran out to a man on a horse named Juan who she later married and had children with also.

Even though Rosaura got sick, the whole town smelled like roses from Gertudis sweat, meaning that the magic does not only cause bad things to happen but also good as well. About twenty years have passed after Rosaura death, she had a bad digestive problems, Esperanza her daughter got to marry her true love Alex Brown Dr. John Brown’s son. At the wedding Tita was preparing Chiles in Walnut Sauce, no one could keep their hand off them. Everyone including the priest we’re thirsty for love after dancing and eating some Chiles in Walnut Sauce. Some we’re smart and got into their cars a made love but others we’re unlucky and had to make love behind a bush. Tita and Pedro felt like they could finely make love freely, trying to hold their sexual desire only made them more horny, they ran into the dark room.